As has already been noted, 'Love's Labour's Lost' is not one of "The Bard" William Shakespeare's best or most accessible plays despite being one of Shakespeare's shortest. Mostly for all that wordplay and dialogue, difficult to remember and not always easy to follow. It is a lot of fun to watch though and one of the most striking aspects of it is the very meaty character of Berowne, so it does deserve to be better known, which is true of most lesser known Shakespeare plays.
This production is excellent, and although all the filmed Stratford Shakespeare productions are good to outstanding (my least favourite 'Hamlet' still having a lot of great things) their production of 'Love's Labour's Lost' is one of the best. All the potential hurdles are overcome, the time flies by, it's one of the most visually pleasing productions and it's extremely well performed. Like all the other excellent productions, it is a great way of getting acquainted with the play if not familiar, and is done in an accessible while still being tasteful way. Doing so while having more than enough to please those already familiar, striking the right balance of having its own identity and having enough to set itself apart while staying true to the detail and spirit of the play.
Maybe it could have done with less of the reaction shots, but that didn't strike me as a major issue.
Everything else couldn't have been better. For one thing, it looks great with the sets being absolutely enchanting in every sense, have not seen columns this elegant looking for any stage production in a while. The costumes are lavish, especially Rosaline's, and there is nothing confused visually. The music is also beautiful and fits the atmosphere and period adeptly, authenticity not being in question. Loved the intimate but also interactive ambience, it did feel like you were in the venue and witnessing how Shakespeare's plays were performed in his day.
It is never a dull production, with lots of genuinely hilarious moments, lots of touching ones and it is a real celebration of love at its most romantic. A great job is done making the story accessible and easy to follow, regardless of prior familiarity with the play. An equally great job is done making the play feel fresh by having its own identity rather than copying other productions or being too careful, while also being in good taste and cohesive.
Couldn't have asked for better performances. Mike Shara manages to make a difficult to make likeable character very endearing, Berowne is such a meaty character and Shara makes every ounce of that meat very complex and delicious. Also delicious are Juan Chioran, having an absolute blast as Armado, and Tom Rooney at his most hilarious (not just his line delivery but also his body language). Gabriel Long does a fine job as Moth and has a long career ahead if he keeps this high standard up.
Overall, truly excellent. 9/10.
